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Harper Creek high school presents open‑lunch data and proposes schedule change to reduce learning gaps
Summary
High‑school administrators told the board about the open‑lunch program and outlined a pending proposal to move from a block schedule to a traditional schedule with a 30‑minute seminar; the board heard timeline constraints and next steps but did not vote.
High‑school administrators updated the Harper Creek Board of Education on the open‑lunch program and a proposed scheduling change during the Feb. 10 meeting.
The school reported 58 seniors currently use open lunch and that the program operates as a privilege tied to academic and disciplinary eligibility: students must be passing classes, have a signed parent/guardian permission slip and cannot have in‑ or out‑of‑school suspension during the current semester. The school conducts weekly eligibility checks and maintains sign‑out/sign‑in procedures; one student lost the privilege temporarily this year for repeated tardiness returning from lunch.
"We have 58 seniors currently that have taken advantage of our open lunch," the high‑school representative said, adding that 88 juniors have earned the opportunity to gain open lunch after spring break if they meet the eligibility requirements.
On scheduling, the high school outlined work over the past year exploring whether to move from a block schedule to a traditional schedule. Administrators cited three main drivers: gaps in learning created by the block schedule (students can go long stretches without a core course), low standardized test performance in comparison with peer schools, and staffing shortages, including an unfilled science position the district has advertised all year.
The proposed model would shorten class periods to about 56–57 minutes, add a roughly 30‑minute seminar block for grade‑level targeted instruction (SEL, college planning, test preparation) and result in an approximately seven‑hour day. Administrators said a traditional schedule can reduce required staff in some configurations and could help with projected retirements.
"One of the driving forces for me is the gap in learning that takes place right now in a block schedule," the administrator said. "...You could have English one semester of freshman year and not again until sophomore year, and that compounds." The administration described ongoing meetings with staff, counselors and students and said parents and students had provided feedback at public meetings.
Administrators said they are still refining details and would not ask the board to vote on a schedule change immediately; however, they signaled an internal timeline. The district must finalize course scheduling logistics soon and "we have to schedule by March 3," an administrator told the board. If the board later approves a schedule change, the formal approvals would include adjusted graduation requirements and a revised course catalog.
Board members on the personnel committee were asked to meet in March ahead of negotiations; administrators said further communications with families and staff would continue while the plan is finalized. No formal board action was taken that night on the schedule change.
